Scarface
To The History And Theory Of Film (HA1148) Assessment 1: Essay Plan The question which I will be attempting to answer is number 1) Write a close film analysis of a short (5 -15 mins.
) sequence/scene from a module – related film. Your analysis should consider at least four of the elements of film form discussed on the module: mise-en-sce? ne, editing, cinematography, shot type, camera movement, sound and narrative function. What is the connotation of these aspects, i. e. how do they contribute to the meaning, character, story or mood?I will be basing my discussion on the 1983 film Scarface directed by Brian De Palma. The scene I intend to focus on is the final scene of the film which I like to call “Tony’s downfall” which lasts for about ten minutes. I aim to talk about the following film forms: mise-en-sce? ne, camera movement, sound and narrative function.
A little summary and backdrop of some of the issues surrounding the film are also necessary for critical analysis. Many of Brian De Palma’s films share the same techniques, but there are many differences aswell.The director seems to have a liking of gangster films producing two classics, “The Untouchables” and “Scarface. ” These films share many similarities but are filmed from two different perspectives, from the side of the mafia, (Scarface), and from the side of the police, (The Untouchables). Both the films conclude with main mafia gangster paying for his crimes, but in very different ways. The similarities of the suspense music and film techniques used in De Palma’s films are very noticeable.One of Brian De Palma’s strongest points in his film making techniques is his ability to create suspense.
I will be elaborating on this in my essay when talking about the use of Sound and the meaning and impact it attempts to create. There are issues of the American Dream and the Cuban crime wave to consider and how they intersperse together in the film and what influence they had within the film. The film follows the life of Tony Montana and his close friend Manny Ray otherwise known as Manolo from their trip on the Cuban Boat Lift for refugees, to their arrival in Miami.After killing a powerful Cuban figure, Montana and company gain the ability to leave their refugee camps and roam around the U. S. After unsuccessfully trying to make it legitimately in the country, Montana and Manny resort to selling cocaine to dealers around the world. De Palma altered the conventional narrative form in which you might expect from a gangster film.
You might get the typical gangster who’s a badass straight away and continues on a very predictable path, but De Palma who films the narrative form from the gangster’s point of view shows us (the audience) a more in depth lifestyle of a gangster.De Palma portrays the failure of the American Dream, the modern view being that attaining power and happiness. In Scarface, Tony Montana attempts this dream and believed that he would have been happy once achieving power, but of course we know too well what happens.Bibliography: http://twgsbmedia08asgroup1. blogspot. com/2008/10/scarface-analysis. html http://www.
bbc. co. uk/films/2001/02/08/scarface_1983_review. shtml
